Hello, lovelies! I am starting a new series called ‘Stay or Stray’, kind of like a ‘Buy or Bye’ or a ‘Hot or Not’, except this is the best phrase I could come up with. 😉 I’ll be reviewing items that have an interesting claim or possible ‘dupe’ status to see if I should Stay (I love the item and would recommend) or Stray (I wasn’t impressed and wouldn’t recommend) with this item.

So this week, I’ll be reviewing and comparing the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to the famous Beauty Blender!

My Beauty blender has revolutionized how I apply my makeup. It is the easiest, most fool-proof, most natural looking way to apply liquid foundation, and I can’t live without it! However, I can understand how the hefty twenty dollar price tag can scare some people off, so while wandering the halls of Walgreens (dangerous territory, I know ;)), I came across the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.99). Real Techniques is a brush brand created by British YouTubers Sam and Nic Chapman, and they have created one of the most high-quality, low-cost brush lines that I have seen! They used to be only available on their website, realtechniques.com, but now have expanded to Ulta, Walgreens, and I believe Target online. ANYWAY, I’ve wanted to try this for a while because I’ve seen lots of rave reviews, and the price was just right, so I picked it up to review!

Here’s what it looks like:

In comparison to the Beauty Blender, it’s a tad bigger, but not by too much. The design is quite similar to the BB, except it’s a little more oblong and has a flat edge on the bottom. It’s much less dense and softer than the BB. While the BB still has some substance and ‘weight’ to it, the RT sponge feels like it’s as light as air.

Comparison when dry

Comparison when soaked and squeezed dry

All three parts of the sponge have three separate claims:

So, use the tip for concealer, the sides for foundation, and the flat edge to get around the tight nose and eye areas. But, if you’re not into that, in the words of Jaclyn Hill, ‘You do you, boo’. 🙂

When I use these sponges, I squeeze them under a running faucet until it’s at maximum size, then squeeze out the rest of the water and towel dry. The reason for this is that the dampness takes in any excess product that you may have put on so as to avoid cake face. Also, this adds extra moisture, which is very helpful in the winter months. So, here’s a couple pictures of my review:

My right side with foundation applied with BB

Left side applied foundation with RT Sponge

I’ve gotta be honest, it is VERY hard to tell a difference between the two! The one thing I will say is that when you look up close, the concealer blended in with with the BB is just a tad bit more natural looking than the RT, at least in regards to whether or not you can ‘see’ the concealer on top of my blemishes. And again, it’s just a slight difference, but, when using the liquid foundation, I just can’t tell a difference! I think for such a discount that you get by buying a RT sponge, the quality is amazing. It’s not quite as perfect as the BB, and I’ll still continue to use my BB, but for my girls on a budget or just starting out with makeup, this is a GREAT steal!

I think I’ll STAY with this one! I would totally recommend this in place of a Beauty Blender. (but I’ll be honest, my heart will always be with my tried and true BB :))

Have any requests for upcoming posts? I’m ALWAYS open to suggestion. I hope you have a splendiferous day, be kind, and I will see you soon!

Yay! You know I love the Beauty Blender but I’m intrigued by this, especially the FLAT EDGE! I might have to try this! Also, best cleanser yet for ALL foundation sponges is the Beauty Blender Cleanser… Just saying…

I enjoyed reading yours posts today. I am a first time reader, so I read them all today. Your writing is beautiful. I enjoy makeup and enjoyed reading about your favorites, but what I really enjoyed was the way you expressed yourself. It was very obvious to me that you have such a beautiful spirit and a kind heart. I could tell by your posts that you enjoyed writing them, and that you love people. I am so grateful for people like you that step up and share their thoughts and also grateful for young adults like yourself that are great role models for all the young girls that are growing up in a world that makes them feel bad about themselves. I hope and pray that many young girls will find your blog and they will know deep down that they are beautiful, that they are created by the one who makes no mistakes, and that their body doesn’t define who they are as a person. Blessings to you and may you find joy each time you sit down at your computer and create your beautiful blogs.